Acts 11:19–30
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Main Idea
The church equips the called for the work of evangelism and discipleship.
Passage
Acts 11:19–30 ESV
19 Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. 21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. 22 The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. 25 So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.
27 Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). 29 So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul.
Outline
I – The gospel expands north (v. 19)
II – First for the Jew, then to the Gentile (vv. 19-21)
III – Barnabas sent to investigate (vv. 22-24)
IV – Calling in reinforcements (vv. 25-26)
V – Calamity leads to charity (vv. 27-30)
I – The gospel expands north
As the story’s geography transitions, Luke reminds his readers about the dispersed believers called the diaspora, who fled Jerusalem after Stephen’s martyrdom. The listener is quickly reminded of Stephen’s bold stance and how his fellow Deacon – Philip – fled north to Samaria. It is within the context of escaping persecution that we are now transported north to the regions of Phoenicia, the island of Cyprus, and the city of Antioch.
So, as we have done in the past, let’s take a closer look at these geographical areas.
Phoenicia
Phoenicia, which means land of purple (likely for their invention of a deep crimson-purple dye created from shellfish), is the region that stretches 150 miles and lies between the Mediterranean and the mountains of Lebanon and was central to the ancient world. Being along the coast, it contained primary trade routes and was the northern neighbor of the northern kingdom after Israel had split. The prominent cities we would be familiar with are Tyre and Sidon. Phoenicia is also the region where Jezebel is from and where there was widespread worship of Baal and Ashtaroth (see Judges 10:6).
Cyprus
Cyprus is the 3rd largest island in the Mediterranean and is 148 miles long and 40 miles wide, which lies south of Turkey and West of Syria and is tied to the Phoenician region. In the Old Testament, Isaiah and Ezekiel mention Cyprus as a stronghold and refuge of Phoenician cities such as Tyre.
More prominently, Cyprus plays a big role in the Book of Acts. If you remember from Chapter 4, Barnabas is a native of Cyprus. And, on Barnabas and Paul’s first missionary journey, that is where they go first: arriving at the port of Salamis on the east coast, then traveling throughout the island, and then onward to Paphos on the west coast, which housed the Roman Proconsul for the province (established in 22 B.C.). Later on, Barnabas and John Mark returned to Cyprus to continue their evangelistic efforts. The religious climate here is very Greek, with prominent worship given to the Greek goddess Aphrodite, who was supposed to have emerged from the sea close by.
Antioch
Luke now zooms in from a regional view to a city view. Antioch is the 3rd largest city in the Roman Empire, falling in line after Rome and Alexandria. Since many cities were named Antioch, this city’s full name was Antioch of Syria, which was Syria’s capital at this time. It is located in the crook of the Orontes River, which makes it a major inland port city and trade route linking Egypt, Rome, Mesopotamia, and India. It was founded during the Seleucid Empire (one of the four generals who took over after the death of Alexander the Great) and was prominent in the Roman Empire.
For those of you who know Jewish history, Antioch played a role during the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus Epiphanes and the Seleucid Empire in the 160s B.C. As you would guess, since it was a major Roman city, it was highly Hellenized with Greek culture and worship of the Greek gods.
In the New Testament, it becomes a new base of operations for the missionary efforts of the early church, as we will soon learn today.
So, that is the new terrain. Now, let’s look at the people who live there.
II – First for the Jew, then to the Gentile
So, at this point in the Acts narrative, the dispersed Jews reached as far north as Antioch. As you can see from the map, Antioch is far removed from Jerusalem and Caesarea, 300 miles away. The news of Gentile converts would not have been quick to travel that far north. They would not have had the context of the gospel going to the Gentiles, so, in the same spirit as Peter and the others in the early days of Pentecost, the full force of their efforts was concentrated on the dispersed Jews. As Paul said in Romans 1, the gospel goes to the Jew first and then to the Gentile. As people of displaced Jewish believers, reaching the lost sheep of Israel throughout the city was their primary concern.
But, there were a few who had a broader vision of the gospel. There were Christian men from the island of Cyprus and even from Cyrene (a city in modern-day Libya in Northern Africa) who wanted to see the gospel go further. Being from those areas, perhaps they were Gentile converts themselves, or maybe they were Hellenistic Jews like Stephen and Philip. Whatever the case, they wanted to reach the Hellenists of Antioch. These Hellenists were not the same type of Hellenists in Acts 6. In Acts 6, the widows being left out of the food distribution were Hellenistic Jews, meaning they were Jews who adopted a variety of Greek culture and influences. In chapter 11, we encounter an evangelistic effort to the Hellenists in Antioch, who were fully Gentile… Hellenists in the true sense of the term. These Cyprians and Cyrenians began witnessing to the Greek Gentiles in the city.
This should be praiseworthy evidence that the same Spirit is at work in all Christ-followers. The work of the Spirit among the Gentiles had come to pass, and now, the same Spirit at work in Caesarea is moving in the hearts of faithful followers hundreds of miles away, just like John said He would:
John 16:13 ESV
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.
Are you listening to the Spirit of truth?
The Lord’s hand was with them
This is even more evident in the next verse.
Acts 11:21 ESV
21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
The Holy Spirit cannot be contained by geographical boundaries. His fruit will come to bear in faithful believers throughout the whole world, so it was with these faithful few in Antioch. They followed the leading of the Spirit, and a multitude came to the faith. And realize that these believers weren’t super-apostles. They were not mega-church preachers. Chris Tomlin wasn’t out there drawing people into an emotionally-charged concert. These were ordinary, faithful Christians who desired to reach their community with the gospel.
That, brothers and sisters, should excite you! We are a small church of 100 or so dedicated believers. If God can use a handful of faithful Christians to draw multitudes to Himself, what could He do through 100? If we would take His commandment close to heart to go and get the nations, what will our church and our county look like a year from now? How about five years from now? We have grown quickly in the past ten months because the Lord’s hand is with us. So don’t hold back now… we are just getting started!
Things in Antioch were booming so much that the Jerusalem church had to know what was happening, so they sent a scout to investigate.
III – Barnabas sent to investigate
What happens next is almost a mirror image of what we saw in Samaria. Through the ministry of the Cyprians and Cyrenians, there was an explosive growth in Gentile believers in Antioch. Whether the news spread throughout the region or a messenger from the group was sent to inform the Apostles, the news quickly reached Jerusalem. The same thing happened with the church’s growth in Samaria through Philip’s ministry. Word was sent to Jerusalem since that was the church headquarters and where the disciples lived.
In the story of the Samaritans, Peter and John were sent to investigate and verify what was happening there. In this story, Barnabas was dispatched to Antioch to investigate. This marks a transition in the story. Peter and the disciple’s role in the Acts narrative are drawing to a close because the focus of the gospel to the Jews is shifting to the Gentiles. While Peter had the opportunity to be God’s mouthpiece to the first Gentile household who converted to Christianity, the mission to the rest of the Gentiles was handed to others.
Not only is the base of operations shifting to Antioch, but the gospel messengers are also changing from Peter and the other eleven apostles to Barnabas and Saul.
The grace of God
Barnabas is the man we met in the early church who was a generous giver, a faithful follower, and the one who stuck his neck out for Saul when he was being vetted by the apostles in Jerusalem (once Saul returned from Damascus). His loyalty and trustworthiness, combined with his identity as a Hellenistic Jew from Cyprus, set him apart from other believers as the right choice to investigate and verify what was happening in Antioch.
So, he went, and when he saw what God was doing among the Hellenists there, he was thrilled… not at the phenomenal increase in church attendance… but at the grace of God. What happened in Jerusalem, Samaria, and Caesarea was also happening in Antioch. God was pouring out His Spirit on the Gentiles, and it overwhelmed him. The Greek word for glad here is chaírō…a word we have seen before. It has much more meaning than the English word glad, which we use to express mundane situations, like, “Man, I’m glad the corporate coffee isn’t terrible today.” It carries a stronger sense of gladness, to the extent of rejoicing and joy-filled merriness. Barnabas was filled with joy when he witnessed God’s abundant grace toward these Hellenistic Gentiles.
Can you remember a time when you were overwhelmed by God’s goodness? If not, maybe we need to change our perspectives.
And, in an overflow from his joyful heart, Barnabas exhorted these new converts to remain faithful to the Lord (literally to cling to Him) and keep an unwavering focus on their purpose.
What is that purpose, you ask? Cling to Christ and remain faithful to Him in whatever He asks you to do. If you don’t leave here with anything else, take that one truth home with you.
The real deal
Why is Barnabas the man for the task? Yes, he was indeed generous, and his Hellenistic background gave him a solid relational bridge. But, even more than that, Barnabas was the real deal.
His moral fiber was bulletproof. Luke reiterates this when he boasts of Barnabas being a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. This was a man who bore the full fruit of the Spirit, who was an encourager, a reconciler, a connector, and a loyal subject of King Jesus.
Barnabas embodies the ideal Christ-follower, and because of that, he is an ideal role model for us. Usually, I wouldn’t encourage you to compare yourself with other believers because we all live at different levels of personal sanctification. Still, we also need an ideal to aspire to, and short of Jesus Himself, Barnabas is a pretty good standard to reach.
He was also wise because as he assessed the situation, he quickly realized that facilitating the church’s growth in Antioch would be impossible by himself.
IV- Calling in reinforcements
Something about the expansion of the Kingdom in Antioch struck Barnabas. Maybe he asked himself if Syria could be reached with the gospel, if the Roman strongholds of Caesarea and Antioch could be evangelized, where else would God take it? It could very well be that as Barnabas witnessed the grace of God and put his hand to the plow among these Hellenists, the spark of evangelism roared into an unquenchable fire. Maybe it was here that Barnabas realized he would be a career missionary.
But again, the job was too big for one person. Barnabas realized that he couldn’t do this alone. He needed reinforcements.
He’s back!
And who better to call than Saul of Tarsus… the theological bulldog… the man who turned the world upside down twice: first in a terrible way, and then again in a redeeming way. When we last saw Saul in Acts 9, he stirred the pot in Jerusalem so much that he was shipped off to his hometown in Tarsus until things settled back down.
We know very little about Saul’s activity during this time. I doubt he was complacent, but I imagine this was frustrating for him. After all, God commissioned him to preach to the Gentiles and declare the gospel message to Kings. But right now, he is off the field and riding the bench. I can imagine that was a very discouraging time that left him feeling pretty useless. Have you ever felt like your time has passed, that you’ve been dormant for so long that God can’t use you anymore? Let this be an encouragement that God is never finished with you.
But now, years later, Barnabas grabs Saul off the bench and brings him to Antioch to get back in the game. He needed Saul’s razor-sharp theology and fiery wit to continue strengthening the growing church there, and for an entire year, they joined forces to do just that: to strengthen and teach the church.
These two men: Saul and Barnabas, were like two combustive chemicals that, when combined, caused a forceful explosion of gospel growth. Saul provided deep theological knowledge and God-given revelation, while Barnabas used his interpersonal skills to encourage and unite the people. Together, they used their Spiritual gifts to be an incredible force in the early church that would bloom into a wide-reaching missionary endeavor throughout Asia Minor. The church equips the called for the work of evangelism and discipleship.
The Christian label
But, before they officially launch on that first missionary journey, Luke informs us that this growing body of believers was given a new name. There is plenty of speculation as to the motives for this new term. Some say it was a derogatory term meant to mock believers. Others say it was a clarifying term. Personally, I don’t care about the reasons why. I care about the significance of the term.
Up until now, believers have been called… well, believers… or followers of ‘The Way,’ brothers, and even witnesses. But now, they have a new identity. Christians.
In those days, you were identified in many different ways. You could be identified by your birthplace. We’ve already mentioned Cyprians and Cyrenians. These are people from Cyprus and Cyrene. You could also be identified by your trade or by your affiliation. For example, Herod had servants and followers. They were called Herodians. The term identified their allegiance. They would submit to and follow the direction of Herod.
Likewise, these believers followed a specific person. They followed Jesus, who is the prophesied Messiah… or Christ. What better term to use than those who submit to and follow the direction of The Christ. We are Christ-ians… followers of The Christ (Jesus-ians doesn’t have the same ring to it). Of course, we don’t pronounce it that way, but it brings clarity to the term when you say it like that, doesn’t it?
So, whether the initial intent was to mock or clarify is irrelevant. What matters is that these believers took it and ran with it. They had no problem being Christ-ians.
And neither should we. The label of Christian is almost a derogatory term today. It comes will all types of negative stereotypes in our culture, so let’s adopt the same attitude as the Antiochian believers and wear the badge proudly. It shows the world who we serve! Above being Americans or North Carolinians, we should be long to be known as Christians.
And Christians reflect the character of the one they follow, which is prominently displayed in how they help the Judean believers.
V- Calamity leads to charity
In ‘these days,’ which likely means during this year of the Duo’s ministry, prophets were sent from Jerusalem to Antioch. These prophets had a word from God to the growing church there and its leadership.
A famine hit the land
The word given was that a famine would sweep through the Roman Empire and hit especially hard in the region of Judea. And, Luke being Luke, he gives us the details for when it actually took place… during the reign of Caesar Claudius.
Antioch sends relief aid
Evidently, Barnabas’ nature had rubbed off on the church by this time because they showed a heart of charity in the face of calamity. Each one, according to their own ability, sacrificially gave of their means and gave a significant financial gift to the Christians living in Judea to help them through the famine. This sounds very much like the sacrificial giving we saw in the Christian community in Acts 2. Each gave what they could so that there was no need among them.
Even though the Body of Christ was stretched over 300 miles geographically, there was still unity.
Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV
4 There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Today, we’ve seen a new group of believers evangelized and discipled from a new base of operations. As we launch out into our week, let’s imitate the faithful believers of Antioch and let Ashe Alliance be the place where we launch out into the community with the gospel.